Absences
- If your child is not going to be at school please use the Report an Absence feature within Hero or phone the school office before 9:00am.
- If your child is late to school, please have them visit the office before heading to their classroom.
- If your child leaves school during the day (i.e. doctor appointment, leaving early) please have them visit the office when they leave/arrive.
- A medical absence of three days or more may require a medical certificate to be presented to the school office.
Assembly / Whanau Hui
We hold a combination of whole school assemblies and Whanau Hui’s at Methven Primary School – an opportunity for students to sing, be proud of their work and celebrate our MPS STAR’s.
Whole School Assemblies are held at the Mount Hutt College Hall.
Whanau Hui’s are when students gather in their house/whanau groups. Students are in smaller sharing groups, alongside their siblings, to talk about their learning.
Information regarding upcoming Assemblies and Whanau Hui’s can be found on our event calendar.
Athletic Sports
Methven Primary School, Our Lady of the Snows School, and Lauriston School hold a joint Athletic Sports day each year in Term 4. The event is organised by (and held at) Methven Primary School.
Junior students are placed in mixed gender, age and ability groups for running, jumping & throwing activities. The activities are designed to teach athletic skills that lead on to Senior athletic activities, with the emphasis on participation, accepting and being sporting.
Senior students are separated by gender and age groups and participate in high jump, long jump, short sprint, long sprint, shot put, and discus events. Students have the opportunity to become eligible for the County Schools Athletic Sports, and the Canterbury Athletic day in Christchurch.
Details will be listed on our Event Calendar leading up to the event.
Bank Account
Methven Primary School’s Bank Account details are below:
Methven Primary School
Bank & Branch: BNZ, Methven
Account Number: 02-0868-0013797-000
Behaviour
The school operates a very successful Behaviour Management Programme, whereby children are encouraged to be responsible for their own actions and behaviour and to respect their own property and that of others. All teachers are responsible for monitoring behaviour through behaviour tracking on HERO, for both the classroom and playground. This data is viewed weekly by teachers at an admin meeting and staff take a collective responsibility for next steps following our PB4L Behaviour Flowcharts.
Parents are contacted of there are serious matters of concern. We would encourage parents to contact the school if they have any concerns.
Our MPS STARs; “Sporting, Trustworthy, Accepting & Responsible” provide a clear set of behaviour expectations for the children to achieve within the school environment.
Board of Trustees
Information can be found on our Board of Trustees page.
Book Club
Scholastic Book Club keeps the reading momentum rolling all year long by providing children and families with regular access to age-appropriate and affordable books. Our school benefits too! We earn 20% in Scholastic Rewards on all Book Club orders which helps us purchase additional learning and literacy resources. The easiest way for parents to order and pay for LUCKY Book Club is online. Visit www.scholastic.co.nz/loop or download the LOOP apps to get started. Order forms with cash or cheques (payable to Scholastic New Zealand) can be returned to the school office.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Information on BYOD can be found on our Stationery page.
Bus Enrolment
Parents are to fill out a Bus Enrolment Form and deliver it to the school office as soon as possible, making sure all details are entered including a full physical address with a RAPID number. The school office then forwards your enrolment form to the Methven Area Bus Group Administrator, who will contact you directly to confirm your enrolment and conditions/rules of travel.
Bus Travel
The Methven Primary School office needs to be informed of any temporary changes to the afternoon school bus run including if your child will be absent or not traveling by bus on a particular day. Parents/caregivers can ring the school office to advise of these changes or use the bus book in the school office up until 3pm each day. Senior students are also able to sign themselves out on this book. Please ensure you keep your child’s bus traveling details up to date with the office.
It is important that you stay with your child/ren until the bus picks them up in the morning and be prepared to meet them when they arrive home each day. Please be on the side of the road that they alight. Teach your child bus safety rules. Bus Monitors are appointed to assist our bus children. After school, bus children assemble in the hall in their bus lines, and the roll is checked by the Bus Monitors. Senior pupils help the little ones to the bus depot and see them safely onto the buses. Two duty teachers oversee this responsibility.
Children are given high-vis vests in the afternoon to wear until they reach their home. In the morning children are to wear their high-vis vest from their home until they reach the bus yard.
The Methven Area Bus Group is responsible for all issues involved in your child’s journey by bus, so please phone their Bus Administrator on 027 243 0464 or email if you have a concern to discuss. The Group use a Facebook to communicate with parents/caregivers regarding bus delays so we recommend you connect with their page: https://www.facebook.com/methvenareabusgroup/.
Communication
Visit our Communication page to view a summary of Methven Primary School’s preferred communication methods.
Community Loans
Members of the community can borrow equipment that is not currently being used by the school. There are two requirements; the community loan book in the office is filled in fully and any equipment damaged is repaired at the user’s cost.
Complaints Procedure
Complaints
No discussion on any complaints involving pupils or staff should take place in the presence or hearing of pupils.
Pupil Complaints
If you have a complaint about a pupil or pupils, you should refer your complaint to your child’s classroom teacher. If the action or response does not satisfy your concern, please refer your complaint to Team Leader or Deputy Principal.
Teacher Complaints
In the event of a complaint about a teacher, you must first make an effort to discuss the problem with the teacher concerned before you approach the Deputy Principal or Principal.
The full complaints procedure is available from the School Office.
Contact Details
School contact details can be found at the bottom of every page of our website.
Cross Country
Methven Primary School, Our Lady of the Snows School, and Lauriston School hold a joint Cross Country event each year in Term 2. The event is organised by (and held at) Lauriston Primary School. Students have the opportunity to become eligible for the County Cross Country.
- Year 1 – 600m
- Year 2 – 700m
- Year 3 – 1000m
- Year 4 – 1500m
- Year 5 – 2000m
- Year 6 – 2000m
Details are listed on our Event Calendar leading up to the event.
Curriculum
Methven Primary School has a clear commitment to providing quality programmes of work in all areas of the curriculum, but above all aims to ensure that the quality of its programmes in the core areas of English and Maths are a priority in each class. Curriculum areas are reviewed and updated regularly as new national curriculum documents are produced and the needs of our school change.
Dental Hygiene
The Canterbury District Health Board’s mobile community dental service visits Methven Primary School once a year. They are next expected to arrive at school Term 4 2018.
- The dental therapist will not only be checking the children’s teeth but will also Xray, clean and apply protective treatments fluoride and or Fissure sealants (coating put on teeth to prevent decay) if required.
- If your child requires further dental care such as fillings they will bring home a ‘Care Plan’ which will explain what dental care is required.
- When you receive the ‘Care Plan’ please contact their Call Centre as soon as possible as you will need to arrange a time to bring your child to one of their Community Clinics for this dental treatment.
- Please let them know if you wish to be present at your child’s check up or if you do not wish your child to have any of the proposed dental care. You can phone the call centre or talk to the staff in the mobile.
If your child has a dental issue outside of the planned school visit, please phone the call centre to make an appointment at another Mid Canterbury location.
Donations
Methven Primary School is not eligible to take part in the Ministry of Education’s Donation Scheme due to our school’s Equity Index (EQI) being below 432. The EQI is a measurement used to determine a school’s level of equity funding.
A voluntary donation of $50 per child or $100 per family would be greatly appreciated.
More information on fees, charges and donations can be found on the Ministry of Education website.
Duathlon/Triathlon
In Term One a ‘have a go’ duathlon is held for Years 1 – 4. This event is held at the conclusion of the MPS Swimming gala held in Term One.
We also hold a Triathlon in Term One for Years 3 – 6. Competitive racing option: Swim 2 lengths of Methven Pool, bike 3kms (approx) and run 1km (approx). Non-competitive racing option: Swim 1 length or 3 widths of Methven Pool, bike 1.5kms (approx) and run 500m (approx). Details are listed on our Event Calendar leading up to the events.
e-Learning
Our school is part of the N4L network set up by the Ministry of Education to provide high speed internet. This comes with robust filtering, but all children are expected to respect our school rules for internet usage. A form needs to be signed by children and parents on enrolment and annually for the Senior Syndicate children. We have a growing number of devices per class for specific use of enhancing learning. Children are taught safe internet usage and are guided in their skills to use different programmes, sites and Apps for collaborative learning, inquiry, skill practice and sharing. A Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy is in place for our older students. Senior classes are predominantly using windows devices and junior students use ipads to support their learning.
EOTC
Education Outside The Classroom (EOTC) is the name given to all events/activities that occur outside the classroom, both on and off the school site. Our school believes in using a range of environments and experiences to enhance our students’ learning We are close to various rich learning environments for our students. Our EOTC consent on the Consent Form covers activities within normal school hours and within walking distance from the school that are deemed low risk (Table 3.1 Management guide for EOTC activity types. EOTC Guidelines. MOE.2009). The consent includes Sport and Swimming run by the school. There is a school camp every year for the Senior students and costs for this are met by parents. Parent Support is vital to ensure the success of School Camps.
Expenses / Family Accounts
Family Accounts can be accessed via the School App – Hero.
- The school voluntary family donation is tax deductable and charged at $50.00 per student, with a maximum of $100 per family.
- The digital technology voluntary donation is tax deductable and charged at $30.00 per student.
- Additional expenses (i.e. Skiing, Sun Hats, additional Stationery) can also be charged onto to your family account
Our preferred method of payment is online via 02-0868-0013797-000. Cash can also be provided in a named envelope to the school office.
Please note, if you do not indicate what you are paying for we will apply your payment as follows:
- Additional expenses (Oldest to newest) first
- Digital Technology donation next
- Family Donation last
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – New Students
You can travel to school on scooters and bikes, however bikes are not to be used on the school grounds during school time.
During 1st and 2nd lunch you can use your scooter on our scooter track and around the main tarmac area. Helmets must be worn with scooters.
First look around the places you’ve spent time in.
Then look in the ‘Lost Property’ boxes located in the corridor by the library.
If your item is named it usually turns up after a few days.
In class: talk to your home class teacher. If you are not feeling well or have hurt yourself, you will be sent to the Office with a class member and a note about your symptoms. The Office Staff will take you to our ‘Sick Bay’ to lie down or tend to your injury. Office Staff will check on your wellbeing. They will notify your parents if you need to go home. If you do need to go home a class member will bring over your school bag.
In the playground: see the Duty Teacher. The Duty Teacher will decide if you need to go to the ‘Sick Bay’ and will take you there for treatment or monitoring. They will call your parents if you need to go home or see a doctor. If you do need to go home a class member will bring over your school bag.
At 1st lunch (11-11.30) juniors (New entrants – Yr 2) will sit outside Pudding Hill to eat something from their lunchboxes before going to play. Seniors (Yr 3 – Yr 6) are allowed to eat outside their classes and then play. At 2nd lunch juniors will take their lunchboxes to sit outside Pudding Hill. Seniors sit in the area outside Opuke. You must wait for the Duty Teacher to dismiss you after 15 minutes. There are drinking fountains around the school if you need a drink.
Yes, you can bring food like pies, toasties and pizza etc. to be warmed. We do not have the facilities to heat noodles or other foods that need boiling water. You must make sure your item is wrapped in tin foil and has your name and class clearly labelled on it. There will be a place in your class where you can leave your food item when you get to school. It will be collected by a senior student. At 2nd lunch you can collect your food item by the bell outside the office – wait for your name to be called.
If you are a new entrant to Year 2 you can play on the ‘adventure playground’, which includes climbing frames, a flying fox, slide and swing rope etc. You are also allowed on the playing fields, main court area, the trees around Mahuri and the ‘red house’ at the entrance and scooter track. If you are a Yr 3 – 6 you are allowed on the above as well as the treeline on alternate weeks (this will be posted in the daily notices). No students are to play behind the classrooms on the Mt Hutt College side – you must be able to be seen by duty teachers.
The treeline is the long strip of trees on our playing fields. If you are in Yr 3 – 6 you are allowed to play in the treeline, build huts and climb the trees (no higher than 6ft). Yr 3 & 4 alternate weeks with Yr 5 & 6 in the treeline – the weeks are announced in our daily notices.
At 2nd lunch our PALs (Physical Activity Leaders) will bring out a trolley from our PE Shed. The trolley contains balls, bats, hoops and other equipment to play with. You must return any items you play with to the trolley by the end of lunch. If you lose or break any equipment, please let the PALs know.
The library is also open during some lunchtimes (see the daily notices).
A Duty Teacher is a teacher who supervises at 1st and 2nd lunch. They wear orange high-vis vests and will carry a pack that contains plasters, details of children who have severe allergies and a behaviour book. Duty Teachers ensure that students are safe and happy. If you are injured or feel unwell seek out the Duty Teacher and let them know your symptoms. Duty Teachers also reward students showing our MPS values in the playground with ‘Stellar Cards’.
At MPS we follow something called using your WITS. It stands for:
- Walk away
- Ignore
- Talk it out
- Seek help from an adult
Usually by doing the WIT you can avoid seeking help from a duty teacher. However, if none of the first 3 things work then find the duty teacher.
A ‘Stellar Card’ is a reward Duty Teachers will award to students who display our MPS values in the playground. They will write down the reason you were awarded this and your details. You will then be sent to put your card in the House Colour Box.
Stellar Cards will be drawn each week and those students will attend a ‘Fun ‘n Games Friday’ where you are able to play board games, sports, arts & crafts and have a whole lot of fun! Stellar Cards are also added up each week and combined to House Colour scores to establish an overall winning House each term.
Every fortnight, usually on a Friday, you will meet in a specific place with your House group. This will include any family members at the school. We have time in our House group to sing songs, share our learning and successes and talk about our behaviour focuses or any announcements.
When you enrol at MPS you will be given a House Colour, either Whero (Red), Kahurangi (Blue), Kakariki (Green) or Kowhai (Yellow). During the school year students will carry out sporting activities and whole school events within their House Colour group. We have a ‘House Colour’ box outside the Principal’s Office where ‘Stellar Cards’ can be placed and this will go towards your House Colour. Winning houses get to do fun things together throughout the year.
In class we have STAR certificates to celebrate our achievements for showing our STAR values. We are working towards being Sporting, Trustworthy, Accepting and Responsible. Your teachers will reward you with stars for your certificate when you are consistently showing these values. When a section, for example Accepting, has been filled you will be awarded a ‘Collectors Card’ in your ‘Whanau Hui’ and your photo will be included in the school newsletter. You can attach the ‘Collectors Card’ to your school bag zip!
Each student is able to take out 2 school library books at a time. Your class will have a time during the week where you can return, renew or get out new books. The daily notices will let you know when the library is open during 2nd lunch. You can use the library for colouring activities, to read quietly or get out books. If you lose library books you will have to pay a fee.
At the end of the day all bus students will go to the hall. Find the name of your bus and sit down in a row with the others from your bus. Your bus monitor (usually a Yr 6 student) will do a roll call and let you know when it is time to line up at the bus shed outside. If you are off the bus that day you must sign out of the ‘bus book’ which is located in the Office during the day or in the hall after school. Please let the Office staff know if you are off buses on a regular day (sports etc.).
First Aid / Sickness
Should a child suffer an accident at School, they will be attended to, and if it is felt that a Doctor’s advice is necessary then the parent will be contacted immediately. If children become ill at school, the parents will be notified to come and take them home. Many of our staff have current first aide certificates.
Fundraising
Detailed information can be found on our Fundraising page.
Gifted & Talented
Our policy is to ensure that Gifted and Talented students are recognised, affirmed and that opportunities are provided for these students to further excel in their area(s) of strength. Some children are nominated to be assessed for participation in a One Date School Programme currently based in Ashburton. Please contact the school office for more information.
Hero
Hero is the new Student Management System operating within Methven Primary School. Please visit our dedicated Hero page for more information.
Visit our Home Learning page for information
House and School Leaders
Each year these leaders are chosen from our Year 6 group of children. These children meet regularly with our Leadership Team and are responsible for important leadership roles around the school. They work with the younger students and support the staff.
2023
Whero (Red) House: Isabella & Nate
Kahurangi (Blue) House: Stephanie & Joseph
Kowhai (Yellow) House: Ava & Zavier
Kakariki (Green) House: Sophie & Leo
Star Leaders: Isaac, Sarah, Beau & Jerome
House Groups
When children are enrolled at MPS, they are put into colour groups with their siblings. There are four house groups:
- Whero (Red)
- Kahurangi (Blue)
- Kowhai (Yellow)
- Kakariki (Green)
Children are awarded house points by earning ‘Stellar Cards’ to reward playground related behaviour. At the end of each term the winning house group are rewarded with a fun activity run by the house leaders. Other fun house activities and/or Mufti Days are organised by school leaders throughout the year to celebrate learning or support various causes.
Leaving Methven Primary School
If your child is moving to a new school please inform the class teacher as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to forward the necessary student information to the next school. This will also allow us time to gather up your child’s belongings and Methven Primary School belongings i.e. books.
Library
The school has an excellent library with a wide range of titles available for use by children in the school. New titles are constantly added. All pupils spend some structured class time in the library each week and pupils are able to use the library at lunchtimes. Books are issued during in-school library sessions. Parents are requested to ensure books are returned to school promptly and in good condition.
Lockdown (Reverse Evacuation)
“In certain situations it may be necessary to move, or keep, all students inside. These situations include severe storms, a major accident in the school vicinity, or other dangerous situation. The school has a detailed plan for this event, and regularly practises it with students and staff.
Reverse evacuation plans are not published on our website or made available to the wider school community.
As appropriate to the situation, the school contacts parents and caregivers when it can, using the available communication options.
Parents must follow any instructions issued by the school, including not coming to the school to see or collect their children. This is particularly important when the school is in lockdown under Police instruction.”
Lost Property
Please ensure that all clothing and property is clearly named. The school cannot accept responsibility for lost property but every effort will be made to locate lost items. Items not labelled or named are put in the “lost property” box located in the hall foyer and you are welcome to check through clothing found and not claimed. At the end of each term any unclaimed property is sent to the Red Cross Shop. Please name all clothing!
Lunches
Healthy food choices are important to establish in childhood to support the child’s immediate physical and mental growth and development, and to set behaviours for the future. We encourage and educate our students to be responsible for their own health. Children are encouraged to have a healthy lunch. Our fortnightly newsletter regularly contain healthy food and nutrition ideas for parents.
Drinks
We encourage all students to bring water to school daily. We also run the Milk in Schools programme and many students take advantage of this healthy option. We ask students not to bring Fizzy Drinks, Sports Drinks, Flavoured Milk and Juices to school.
Food
All children need to have a piece of fresh fruit or veggie to eat at Fruit Break”, as well as sufficient food for first and second lunch. We ask students not to bring lollies to school.
A food warmer is available in the school hall for heating foods i.e. toasties. Food should come wrapped in tin foil with name and classroom marked clearly on the outside. Classrooms have a container for items to be placed into each morning for senior students to collect and place in the food warmer.
Choices for purchasing lunch (i.e. Friday wraps) are published in the school newsletter when available.
Medication
All medicine administered to children is dispensed through the school office. Children are not to keep medicine in their bags and self-dose, with the exception of asthma inhalers.
The school will only administer prescription medicine to students whose parents have made a formal request. This includes short term antibiotic courses. A Medicine Authority Form is available from the office, (download here) and needs to be filled out before medicine can be given.
All medication (e.g., tablets, liquid, epi-pens) must be delivered to the school by parents/care-givers, not by students. Please ensure it is clearly labelled with the child’s name, dose and time to be taken.
For more information, view our Medicines Policy.
Pain relief
If you do not wish your child to be given paracetamol (as indicated on the enrolment form), please contact the school office in writing.
Microsoft / Office 365
Methven Primary School has been using Office 365 since 2014. Children have their own login and email and this allows them access to Office 365 products on their devices at home. Senior classes are using shared online learning environments such as OneNote for their daily learning.
Milk for Schools
Fonterra Milk is about growing healthy kids and milk contains essential nutrients for growth and development. The natural nutrition of milk gives kids calcium for building bones and nutrients they need for sustained energy, concentration and learning in the classroom. Participation in the programme is entirely voluntary, with milk given out to students twice a week at 1st lunch. More information can be found at www.fonterramilkforschools.com.
MPS STARs
Sporting | Trustworthy | Accepting | Responsible
Visit our MPS STAR page for more information.
Music
As well as the school programme for music, children have the opportunity to join the school choir who perform regularly at a schools’ festival in Ashburton. Private music teachers teach lessons on the school premises and many parents take advantage of this opportunity and children are released from class time for their music lesson. Accounts are sent directly to parents by the music teacher.
Parent Helpers
There are many occasions where parents are able to help with school activities and teachers recognise and are grateful for the support they receive at these times. The classroom teacher will explain what the parent helper can do and help in the class lesson. Classroom Parent Helpers will be given a copy of the school policy on Parent Help, and will be asked to sign a confidentially form. Parents attending EOTC activities will be well briefed by the teacher in charge before departure.
PB4L
Methven Primary School has been a Positive Behaviour for Learning School since 2015. This means that we have a contract with the Ministry which promotes teachers and students to use positive behaviour as a means of developing a positive school climate.
What is PB4L?
Positive Behaviour for Learning initiatives help parents, whānau, teachers, schools address problem behaviour, improve children’s well-being, and increase educational achievement.
By strengthening relationships and creating more positive home and school environments, we remove barriers to engagement and improve students’ chances to achieve at school and beyond.
PB4L is a long-term, systematic approach involving: whole-school change initiatives, targeted group programmes, and individual student support services.
Pie Warmer
You can bring food like pies, toasties and pizza etc. to be warmed. We do not have the facilities to heat noodles or other foods that need boiling water. You must make sure your item is wrapped in tin foil and has your name and class clearly labelled on it. There will be a place in your class where you can leave your food item when you get to school. It will be collected by a senior student. At 1st lunch you can collect your food item by the bell outside the office – wait for your name to be called.
Production
We celebrate the Arts every second year with a Whole School Production. This is an opportunity for children to share their learning through performance. We use local venues to provide a stage for us to our limited space at school. We provide a number of options for families to come and see our production. Information will be loaded onto our Event Calendar closer to the time.
Reporting
Collaborative Conferences
These will occur, usually in Terms 1 and 3, for whānau and teachers to connect to discuss strengths and collaborate on next steps and learning goals for their student. Information about booking these conferences will be on the school website and sent out through Hero.
On-line Reporting
Our Hero Student Management System provides a platform for us to report to whānau throughout the year. Two to three times a term, snapshots of learning will be added to share a picture of each student’s learning journey across the curriculum. Teacher (Kaiako) and Student (Ākonga) comments will support and clarify the learning that takes place. Graphs are used to show progress and achievement in Reading, Writing and Maths and will be updated twice a year. Whānau will receive a notification to let them know that there is new reporting information being shared with them.
Hero Reporting to Parents Information
Informal Interviews
If you wish to meet a teacher for any particular reason during the school year, please contact the teacher or school office via email for an appointment.
Curriculum
Regular opportunities will be given for whanau to share aspirations for their tamariki, provide feedback on learning opportunities and support curriculum development and other school areas of focus at MPS.
School Grounds
Children may come into the school grounds from 8:30am (unless prior arrangements have been made). Children are not encouraged to remain at school after 3:20pm unless accompanied by a parent. Staff members will not be responsible for children after this time.
School Hours
This information can be found at the bottom of every page of our website.
School Policies
All areas of the school’s curriculum programme and school management structures are covered by comprehensive school policies and procedures. These are reviewed regularly and are available for parents to view through the office or the Principal.
Scooters & Skateboards
Children may bring scooters or skateboards to school. Helmets must be worn at all times. Specific areas for safe scooting and skating are provided and our scooter track is available for free use during break times. Please name all equipment clearly.
Skiing
Methven Primary School is pleased to offer students the opportunity to travel in class groups to Mount Hutt for skiing or snowboarding. The school aims for two optional trips per class during Term Three. There will also be an optional Skiing/Boarding Camp for students who want to further develop their skiing and boarding skills! Students will take part in 3 days of 4.5hr lessons with Mt Hutt Instructors.
Details are listed on our Event Calendar.
Snow Closure
Occasionally the school may have to close due to snow. Below is the procedure for closure during the day and before the start of the day.
Town Students
Procedure for closure before the start of the day
- You will be notified of the closure by Hero text and email notification before 7.00am.
Procedure for closure during the day
- Parents will be notified by Hero text and email notification of the closure. A post will also be placed on our Facebook page.
- Students will be held in their classrooms until after the buses have departed.
- Children will be kept at school until they are collected by a parent or caregiver.
- Please use the back gate to collect your child, leaving McDonald Street free for buses.
- If you wish your child to be collected by another parent, the office will need authorisation from you.
- If for some reason you are unable to collect your child, they will be cared for at school.
- It is essential to delay pickup of your children until after the buses have departed.
Bus Students
- Any decision made regarding bus operation, is a joint decision between local school Principals and the Methven Area Bus Group contractor.
- Methven Area Bus Group Snow Closure Information
If at any stage closure is looking likely, please feel free to keep your children at home.
Special Learning Needs
We run learning support programmes throughout the school to cater for a range of different learning needs. We have a number of skilled Teacher Aides who work with groups of children and a Reading Recovery Teacher who works with individual children.
Sports
Methven Primary School encourages children to take up a sport – to be involved, to enjoy, to maintain fitness and skills, to contribute as a team member, to play fair and to play for success. Many of our students take part in after school/weekend local competitions (i.e. netball, tennis, miniball, hockey, cricket, soccer and rugby) and throughout the year we have a number of local codes providing skill development sessions during class time. Please feel free to contact the school office if you would like assistance in tracking down a contact number for a local sports club.
Methven Primary School participates in the annual Winter Sports Tournament which has teams competing against other schools from the Ashburton District in the main codes of Hockey, Netball, Rugby and Soccer. We also participate in the Mid Canterbury Rugby Union Rippa Tournament held in Ashburton during term 2, and Cricket & Miniball tournaments held in Ashburton. Event details are listed on our Event Calendar leading up to the event.
Student Contact Details
Please ensure that you advise the school office if there has been a change of contact details (address, phone or email) so that we can update our Student Management System records. This includes all primary caregivers and emergency contacts.
Student Exams
Methven Primary school like to offer the University of Canterbury annual Kiwi English, Mathematics and Science competitions for years 5 to 6. The Kiwi competitions are written by New Zealand teachers and closely align with the New Zealand curriculum.
Certificates are provided for all participating students. The top student in each competition will receive a prize. Information is usually provided throughout the year via Hero.
Sunsmart Policy
Methven Primary School has a Sunsmart Procedure that makes sunhats compulsory in Terms 1 & 4. Hats should be a bucket or brimmed style. MPS red bucket sunhats are available from purchase via NZ Uniforms. It is important that children take responsibility for wearing and storing their own hats daily. Classrooms have sunscreen available, but this should also be applied at home before school.
Swimming
The Methven Community Pool provides a fabulous resource for our students. Swimming is part of the school curriculum with all children expected to take part during the daily swimming times during terms one & four each year.
Methven Area Swimming Sports are held in Term 1 for Years 5 & 6 each year, a combined event with OLS and Lauriston. County Schools Swimming Sports held at the EA Networks Centre in Ashburton.
A MPS Swimming Gala is held in Term 1 for Years 1 – 4. This is a fun event, celebrating participation and having a go! There are widths, lengths and fun activities for all the children to participate in.
Information on swimming events are listed on our Event Calendar leading up to the event.
Terms Dates & Public Holidays
This information can be found at the bottom of every page of our website.